Soul

Chinmayie, the owner of Soul shares how she started the business.

“The story of Soul Slings began 5 years ago when my daughter was born.

My daughter Alaru was a high needs baby who wanted to be carried constantly so I bought a baby carrier by a well-known international brand. At that point, I knew very little about babywearing. Little did I know that these famous infant carriers were not really right for me. They were thick, padded, and in the Indian summer, my baby was sweaty and uncomfortable, and it just didn’t feel right! By the time I learnt about ring slings, my daughter was already growing up.

After 4 years when I found out I was expecting again, I was a more confident parent who knew that she wanted to babywear extensively. Having an older child at home all the time, I had to figure out a way to care for my second baby and be on my feet at the same time. I researched all the different kinds of baby carriers in India and abroad, and decided a ring sling was the ideal choice considering my lifestyle and the Indian climate. I had to get it down from the US as it wasn’t locally available.

The first time I wore my son in my ring sling was when he was barely a few days old. I fell in love with my baby sling instantly. My newborn son was comfortably napping on me while I read books or went out for walks with my 5-year old daughter. Every time he was crying, all I needed to do was to wear him in my ring sling and he would settle down in minutes. Even when he was awake, it only felt right to keep him warm and close to me. As he grew older, I learnt to wrap him. Eventually, as a busy toddler, he showed a strong preference for SSCs. Today we choose our daily carrier depending on our mood and planned activities!

I couldn’t imagine my life without my baby carriers. I never stepped out of the house without one. I remembered my life when my daughter was a newborn and realized that with a good ring sling those days could have been a lot less stressful for both of us.

That’s when I decided to start Soul. I knew I could make a difference in every parent’s life by introducing them to safe and affordable babywearing. As my son and I explored different styles of babywearing, Soul grew and increased its options for babywearers everywhere.

When we started out I searched in vain for baby carriers which were locally made, well-constructed and elegant. So I decided to do it myself.”